Review: Summer Holiday the Musical, Crucible Theatre

Summer Holiday the Musical is a stage adaptation by Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan of the hit 1963 musical film starring Cliff Richard and The Shadows, where a group of young people take a double decker bus across Europe in search of sun, fun and love. It feels very appropriate in the current heatwave; complaints about the onstage rainy weather as tonight’s production opened drew chuckles from the audience. 

The show includes familiar songs from Richard’s 1960s back catalogue, which were not all in the original film. Most of them are well-known and they come thick and fast, performed with style by this talented cast of actor-musicians. Their vocals are strong, their harmonies are tight and the music has a delightful freshness you might not expect for songs that have been around for so long.

It’s difficult to put a double-decker bus on the stage, especially a thrust stage like this one. Directors Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti have opted to use separate red plush bus seats which manoeuvre to become the interior, allowing more flexibility for cast interactions. The bus is playfully ‘driven’ Flintstones-style by the actors. Additionally, a model of the bus travels across the stage and around the auditorium, to the delight of the audience. In contrast to this, a real 1960s mini with a Union Flag painted on the roof ascends from below the stage when the boys meet trio Do-Re-Mi, which is an impressive effect and adds to the 60s feel.

The production is initially set in Sheffield, with the bus a bright orange South Yorkshire vehicle. The relocation is a nice touch to create a connection with the audience. There was little evidence that the characters were locals, though: the Sheffield accents were unconvincing. 

The Cliff Richard role, Don, is played by George Jones who acts and sings well. He has very good stage chemistry with his leading lady, Barbara played by Fanta Barrie. She gives a very natural performance, with good comic timing, especially when she is pretending to be a boy and her attraction to Don is completely believable. The ensemble cast play off each other well and ensure the pace is fast and slick. Elliot Mackenzie is engaging and gives a likeable performance as Cyril. Don’s other friends, Edwin (Jim Duah) and Steve (Robin Harris) capture the vibe as they play their guitars along with Mackenzie and do the famous Shadows box step.

Much of the show’s comedy comes from Barbara’s controlling mother, Stella (Jane McCarry) and her assistant Jerry (Damian Humbley), who provide loud and slapstick humour as they attempt and continually fail to sabotage the progress of the bus. The fact that they also play the various foreign police officers is a witty touch.

The set starts as a mundane cafe and transforms into a brightly coloured backdrop with psychedelic 1960s decals. As the bus reaches each destination, part of the set slides away to reveal the country’s national flag, while landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are carried on by the cast. The Music Captain, Isaac Savage, from his position above the stage, also changes his headgear to suit the relevant country. These are all simple devices but really do set the scene well.

The pervading feeling of the production is infectious fun. This show is all about the joy of the music and every song is a delight. By the time the cast reached the finale, ‘Do You Wanna Dance?’ and was encouraging the audience to join in, I really felt as though I just wanted to join the party down on the Crucible stage.

Based on the film Summer Holiday, directed by Peter Yates, screenplay by Ronald Cass and Peter Myers and by special arrangement with StudioCanal
Stage adaptation by Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan
Co-Directed by Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti
Orchestrations by Keith Strachan
Musical Direction by Richard Reeday
Set and Costumes Designed by Amanda Stoodley
Movement Direction by Lesley Hutchinson
Lighting Designed by Rory Beaton
Sound Designed by Tom Marshall
Associate Director Eilidh Gibson

Summer Holiday the Musical plays at the Crucible, Sheffield until Saturday 18 July before transferring to Blackpool Grand Theatre from Wednesday 29 July to Saturday 8 August.